Neverwinter
Although Neverwinter managed to avoid the level of devastation wrought upon the other cities of the north, it too fared poorly as all did north of Waterdeep in the years following the Spellplague, and by the Year of the Ageless One the location of many of the cities woes, Luskan to the north, was in utter ruins. By 1461 DR, some settlers had returned to Neverwinter in an attempt to re-establish the city. Work on New Neverwinter started by building a new town around the ruins of the old city, however the dead constantly threaten the work on New Neverwinter. Amid the wilderness and savagery of the cold North, Neverwinter once stood as a beacon of civility and warmth. Even after the Spellplague wracked the world, the Jewel of the North lost little of its luster. The city's destruction thus shocked many when it occurred, despite the portents that warned of coming peril. Vague prophecies and strange events seemed like shadows of the Spellplague, nothing more. Even the earth tremors that began to disturb the area could not shake its citizens' belief in a bright future. In 1451 DR, a Thayan plot to create a dread ring in Neverwinter Wood resulted in the release of the fire primordial who had been enslaved in ancient times by the Delzoun dwarves of Gauntlgrym to power their forge. The primordial's awakening resulted in the explosion of Mount Hotenow and unleashed a pyroclastic flow which completely destroyed Neverwinter. The city could do nothing against such a foe. The earth yawned open and broke apart. Whole districts shuddered and sank while other areas shot up, forming sudden cliffs. The river, running warm throughout winter, exploded into hissing steam and lava as scalding clouds of ash roared through the streets like an advancing army. Thousands lost their lives as Neverwinter died that day. Half of Neverwinter's population died in a heartbeat, the city's buildings razed. A great rift now known as the Chasm rent the surface where the shifting earth had pulled apart. Strange zombies roamed the land in the aftermath, their dead flesh turned to ash by the fires that consumed the city. Yet the people of the North have always been resilient. By 1461 DR, some settlers had returned to Neverwinter in an attempt to re-establish the city. Work on New Neverwinter started by building a new town around the ruins of the old city, however the dead constantly threaten the work on New Neverwinter. Slowly, life has returned to this ruined landscape. Many hope to rebuild what has been lost, but an equal number see the tragedy as an opportunity to seize all they can. Yet those who scratch out lives in the scarred city fail to see the infection below the scab. Under their noses, beneath their feet, and even within their earshot, dark forces battle one another for control of the city. As the people began to rebuild. Lord Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord ofWaterdeep, eventually arrived as well, along with an army ofMintarn mercenaries. Today, the city struggles back to life under the watchful rule ofthe self-styled Lord Protector. Even in safer times, the North's reputation as the Savage North was well earned. Now, times are worse and the land more savage by far. Its great cities, once bastions of light and civilization, lie crippled. The small towns that served to shelter travelers stand empty or have been claimed by murderous tribes and hungry monsters. Roads etched into the earth with thousands of years of use are increasingly obscured by forest, bramble, and marsh. Communities now struggle alone amid the wilderness, fortunate if they see an outsider once in a generation. Neverwinter labors to breathe in the suffocating harshness of this new North, the sea its only lifeline. With few traders braving the increasingly long treks between settlements, the city's docks now provide the area's main means of import and precious little export. Gone are the days of plenty, beauty and luxury. Today, Neverwinter struggles to break free of the forces that brought it low, still weak and surrounded by danger. (Adventure Log) (World Information)